I am trying to untangle this mess of immigration stuff and came across DCF. i'm wondering if this is a possibility for my husband and i. i know that it depends upon if the consulate or embassy here in Russia offers this option, which i will check out. the question I have is if it's worth it considering our situation.

the situation is this: i am an American citizen, my husband is Angolan. we married in August 2007 in the US, while he was there on tourist visa (we had both been living abroad and just went to the States to have the wedding so family could be there). shortly after the wedding we left the States and have now been living in Russia and will be living here until he finishes medical school 4 years from now. We don't really intend to live in the States again, but the problem is this: we both love to travel and we of course would like to travel together, as well as visit family and friends in the States from time to time. but with his Angolan passport, it's extremely difficult and expensive, as he needs a visa to travel almost anywhere, and especially within the EU, he even needs transit visas anywhere we would have a potential layover. is there any hope for us that he will be able to travel with me and/or enter the States to visit family with me without needing a visa every time? it would be great if he could get a green card, but with us not living in the US, it appears it will be difficult for him to maintain his status. i read something that said its possible to file a certain form if the legal resident holder plans on being out of the US for more than a year, he could obtain an I-131 application for Travel document which should be good for 2 years. does it sound like its worth it for us? and would this allow him to travel with me, for instance in the EU more easily?

anyone that has any information that could help us, i'd really appreciate it. thanks!

~Amanda

You can only apply for permanent residency if you intend to stay and make the US your permanent home. If you like to move around, it only takes about 3 years to gain US citizenship after he receives his Green Card. May be worth it to stick around for that and then move on.

Listen, if you and your spouse apply for green card, it requires that you, the American petitioner, have DOMICILE in the US. DOMICILE requires you have a mailing address, employment or other means of income, bank accounts in the US, etc, etc......

You will need to file an Affidavit of Support in conjunction with a petition for a CR-1 or IR-1 visa. The Affidavit of Support is a form used by the USCIS to determine if you're financially able to SPONSOR an immigrant and support them (if need be) so that they do not become a charge of the state.

Lastly, after your spouse gets approved for a CR-1 or IR-1 visa, they have to remain in the US for a specific amount of time during their conditional status. If they do not remain for the proscribed time, they lose their visa.

So, if you want the Green card just to avoid the hassles of getting a tourist visa, be aware, it requires a lot more than just filling in an application and sending it in. It requires a whole life change.